Cubs' World Series ring taken off auction site, scout no longer with organization

October 17,2017 04:34

An authentic Cubs World Series ring has been removed from an online auction, and the scout who tried to sell it is no longer with the team. The Sun-Times first reported that auction site Lelands.com cooperated with the Cubs in taking the ring down ...

An authentic Cubs World Series ring has been removed from an online auction, and the scout who tried to sell it is no longer with the team.The Sun-Times first reported that auction site Lelands.com cooperated with the Cubs in taking the ring down about two weeks before bidding was set to close.Team spokesman Julian Green told the Tribune via email Sunday night, "We appreciate Lelands' cooperation in removing a ring that was not authorized for sale per the contract with associates."Cubs employees who are not players or coaches were required to sign an agreement to offer the ring back to the team for $1 before trying to sell it elsewhere. Green continued, “We have identified the scout who no longer works for the ballclub.” He said legally he’s not at liberty to discuss why the team and the scout parted ways.As for the ring, Green said, “We are working to get the ring back in our possession.”The 2016 championship ring had an opening bid set at $1,908 — an homage to the team's previous World Series victory — and had eclipsed the $65,000 mark before the lot was withdrawn by Lelands, according to the Sun-Times report.Memorabilia expert Michael Osacky of Baseball In The Attic said the ring would've fetched at least $100,000 and added that the scout chose the "peak" time to sell. "My sources tell me the Cubs knew somebody would sell a ring sooner or later, but they didn't expect it to be this quick," he said.plthompson@chicagotribune.comTwitter @_phil_thompson